peckenpaugh | wow, that's a lot of pollen...

wow, that's a lot of pollen

what's up? Hard to believe the temperature today is a record setting 91 °F what with all that snow in the air. Wait, that’s not snow. It’s cottonwood fluff! And boy is there a lot of it. Over the last three days, the seed fluff and yellow pollen have steadily collected, though not quite like this. Students wake up to a white out on Wednesday, and it just keeps on piling up through morning classes, sticking to everything and causing rampant sneezing with no end in sight.

By lunch, some parts of campus have several feet of fluff on the ground. Central Campus is still manageable, but Thorntrail’s woods and Mothgarden’s grounds look like a blizzard rolled through, the hillsides around Wildgulch are a not-quite-winter wonderland and the pollen is ankle deep in Deeplurk’s meadows. Bub is working his special brand of magic double time to clear paths as fast as possible, but keeping up proves a challenge even for him.

The relentless pollen explosion is a considerable nuisance and staff has trouble keeping students focused after lunch. Junior Pre-Healer Studies is canceled outright when Healer Greatheart decides to move herself to the Central Classrooms lobby to keep a better eye on students. She passes out allergy medicine to those who seem to need it.

Several students spot unfamiliar wizards in long black robes wandering around the upper floors of Central Classrooms before fourth period. By the end of fifth, the day’s called a wash and Administrator Kwan announces that the last period has been cancelled. She advises that students stick indoors — not just because of the pollen, but because it’s hot as hell! Of course, y’all aren’t about to listen to good advice, are you? At the very least, enjoy the rest of the day. Throw on a Bubblehead Charm (or not) and brave the fluff!

As the sun dips low, the endless rain of fluff finally slows and it seems to have petered out after dinner. Staff and student volunteers spend the evening helping to clear fluff.

At the end of the night each Head of House stops by their respective Common Room with a bit of explanation for the day’s events: while the pollen itself was mundane, it seems the cause was magical. Local magical flora and fauna took issue with an invasive grove of Ents moving into the area north of Peckenpaugh, above the falls, and the excessive pollen was the result of magical beings attempting to intimidate the Ents into leaving. Ms. Treetops and Mr. Trullinger are collaborating with the BoMB to help mediate the dispute. Things aren't quite settled, but at the very least, going forward our sinuses should all be spared.

volunteer slots! A harried Ms. Gunzenhauser, unable to track down her TA, asks 💯 GERTRUDE MCGILLIGUDDY and 💯 LIONEL LOVELACE to teach freshmen the Bubblehead Charm. Assuming they at least try (make a thread with 3 replies each) they’ll each net 5 Points for their House(s). Ms. Gunzenhauser knows how difficult the freshmen are, though, and if TRUDY & LIONEL make real headway (make a thread with 6 replies each), they’ll each get 10 points for their House(s).

As soon as classes are let out, TYBALT ZETTLER digs up some makeshift sleds in the athletic building and organizes a fluff-sledding session on the hills around Wildgulch.

Whether or not 💯 LASZLO PATAKI knows that cottonwood seeds go up like flash paper, they go right to a pile of it with a bit of flame. Just the right amount of mayhem for them, they try this again in several other spots, netting a crowd and ultimately taking their little lightshow to the Mothgarden hedge mazes. Lighting the fluff on the ground at the eastern hedge maze causes quite a scene as the fast burning fire rips through the greenery. It looks cool, but it seems to catch on some mulch. Luckily (unfortunately?) Mr. Berzelius happens to be nearby, with a “Dude,” and a quick Aguamenti he stops a real fire before it can spread. LASZLO loses 10 points for their House and has to turn in a two page paper about fire safety to Berzelius by this Saturday.

HOLLAND GRAVES and FREYA NORRIS use their free time to do some detective work, following a Muscheron scout around campus sure it’ll lead them to the source of all this pollen and fluff. In fact, the Muscheron does not, and instead takes them on a winding adventure through the deepest, densest areas of fluff before returning them to the Surly Stump, which trips FREYA as the Muscheron giggles.

ARMANI’s eyes are so bleary and itchy from all the pollen that they can hardly see, so they decide to head back to their dorm to nap once classes are cancelled. The wheezing mess barrels right into MERLIN PLETCHER outside Central Classrooms after fifth period going in the complete wrong direction. So, MERLIN finds themself tasked with escorting ARMANI to their dorm.

Something’s moving in the fluff near the Greenhouses and CORIANDER PICQUERY can’t tell what it is. It’s kind of freaky, the way it moves, and they scramble to get away, but whatever it is gives chase. CORI leaps into the arms of EDDY WAXWEILER seeking escape when the tiny predator leaps to attack—it’s the FEROCIOUS cactus kitten! Covered in so much fluff it almost looks like a regular cat! CORI and EDDY return the kitten to a very thankful Mr. Trullinger, whom they find speaking with a bearded wizard in long black robes.

locations! ⬦ WHAT'S UP: Well, this has been a weird day! Did you get an allergy headache? Collect fluffy seeds for a craft project? Celebrate when classes were cancelled? Tell us in brief how your student spent their day here!

⬦ SCENES: A place for threading around campus during the Pollenpocalypse!

⬦ OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

As soon as Eddy's board hits the ground, so does Tybalt's. He has the advantage of going down the hill on his stomach, long limbs tucked into himself. He salutes back, and pushes off, laughing.

It's a short-lived laugh.

The trouble is. This looks like snow, but it isn't. There's no slippery ice or packed snow to aid them here, and it's exactly like trying to slide down a hill of cotton balls. Tybalt's weight immediately presses the board into the hard ground, jolting his chin into the earth. He wrinkles his nose, and tries to use his arms to propel him forward. A race is a race, after all, even if it's not quite what he wanted.

One of Eddy's better ideas, this is absolutely not. With only himself to worry about, Tybalt's got the aerodynamic advantage, even if physics never meant for this challenge to be undertaken. While Tybalt attempts to land-swim, Eddy maneuvers himself so he's taking the descent backwards, kicking against the hill to gain speed and overcome each new bump.

This is likely now an even worse idea as he can no longer see what he's about to run into, but it's also about the most thrill to be had with two feet (kind of sort of) on the ground. Even if they both look immensely uncool right now.

"Best two out of three," he yells over to Tybalt as he stays roughly neck and ~~neck~~ butt with him. Maybe a joke. Maybe not. Unclear.

Cool is a matter of perspective. But according to literally anyone, he doesn't look cool. It would be easier to just fling himself to the bottom of the hill, no sled at all, but that would hurt, and besides. He wouldn't get to laugh at Eddy and Mickey's way down.

"What, scared you're gonna lose this one?" He taunts back. Neither of them are winning. He sits back up on the board, and begins scooting his way down, heels digging into the earth instead of his hands. This is a terrible idea, and he's getting a mouthful of cottonwood, but it's all in the name of momentum.

"Hell no. Just being a gentleman," Eddy drawls, hint of a quirked smile, and then there's a jolt of surprise as his sled hits a rock at just the right angle to take on some air and go careening right for Tybalt's. When it makes contact with the ground again, the sled manages to land directly in front of Tybalt, securing Eddy an unexpected lead, but this hill is still very much not a sledding surface and instead they're more like two boy-sized boulders bouncing their way down.

The lip of Eddy's sled slides under Tybalt's and a crash is almost inevitable at this point if they just keep going. Eddy lets out a whoop at the realization - followed by coughing on some cottonwood - and braces himself (and Mickey) for impact.

The sudden change in speed makes Tybalt forget whatever the hell else he was going to say, in favor of an approving shout. It’s a real race, now.

Or it definitely isn’t. Where normally he would accept Eddy coming at him and turn this into a wrestling match down the hill, he’s aware there’s a beloved pet in that pocket. So sacrifices, sometimes, must be made. With an unworldly leap off all fours, Tybalt hurtles himself down the hill, tucking and rolling into a small ball, sled abandoned. It’s a quicker speed, and he rolls out of sight, just a wave of cackles and sharp curses when his head or elbows hit rocky patches.

When the impact doesn't come, Eddy looks up just in time to witness this wholly unexpected turn of events as Tybalt truly embraces the boy-boulder lifestyle. It's a loss for Eddy, but damn is it one hell of an impressive loss. He lets out a louder whoop of approval for this act of extreme bravery/stupidity as he and Mickey sail the remaining length of the hill in (relative) safety.

Landed, he springs off the board and sprints to Tybalt's side, Mickey chittering her general disapproval the whole way. He cocks his head to one side as he crouches to assess the damage, offering an arm to help pull Tybalt up.

"Idiot."

He's happy to take the offered arm to pull himself up, grinning ear-to-ear. He is also, as it happens, bruised from head to toe, or at least will be in the morning. He's not bothered. He's suffered worse injuries.

"Best two out of three?" Has never sounded more smug.

A small shake of the head as he pulls the other boy to his feet. Feigned disbelief, or maybe just amusement, that Tybalt could actually be so damn smug at this moment. The corners of Eddy's mouth turn up ever so slightly in faulty mirror of Tybalt's. It's a grin, in his own way.

"Best two out of three," Eddy agrees without a moment of hesitation. He's not nearly bruised enough yet to call it quits, and he takes each one as a matter of pride, but he does deposit Mickey safely in a hiding spot this time. Then he looks between his board and the top of the hill, eyes already glinting with mischief.

"Race you."

wow, that's a lot of pollen...

Dashing through the seeds (with an Eddy and a Mickey)!

Dashing through the seeds (with an Eddy and a Mickey)!

Dashing through the seeds (with an Eddy and a Mickey)!

Dashing through the seeds (with an Eddy and a Mickey)!

Dashing through the seeds (with an Eddy and a Mickey)!

Dashing through the seeds (with an Eddy and a Mickey)!

Dashing through the seeds (with an Eddy and a Mickey)!

Dashing through the seeds (with an Eddy and a Mickey)!